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RECTANGULAR FINELY PouIsHED SLAB, 36x21 INcuEs, 200 Las. In WEIGHT. 
PresuMAaBLy Usep as AN ALTAR IN ImperiaL Worsuip, SHANG Periop. 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


COLLECTED IN CHINA 
BY A. W. BAHR 


NOW IN 
FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 
CHICAGO 


DESCRIBED BY 
BERTHOLD LAUFER 


THIRTY-SIX PLATES, THREE OF WHICH ARE COLORED 


NEW YORK 
PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR A. W. BAHR . 
1927 


PREFACE 


IHE assembling of this collection of archaic Chinese jades 

extended over many years of residence in China, and was 

only completed last year when on a visit there I was able— 

due to the unsettled condition of the country—to add hitherto unob- 

tainable specimens from famous private collections, as well as jades 
from the recent excavations in Ho-nan. 

The collection was made by me both from an archaeological and 
aesthetic point of view. It is of archaeological importance as these 
jade objects were used in the little. understood ancient Chinese re- 
ligious and burial ceremonies and for court and social functions. 
Artistically they merit admiration for their simplicity, which is re- 
duced to a minimum, and their fine proportions. The color and the 
texture of the stone are skilfully utilized, and the treatment ranges 
from the symbolic or abstract to the naturalistic. These ancient jades, 
chiefly derived from bowlders or pebbles, have a greater variety of 
color than more recent ones, and most of this material is no longer 
found. 

For years I have had access to the important collections of native 
connoisseurs for purposes of study; and when the troublous times 
forced the owners to part with some of their most cherished treasures, 
I spared neither pains nor expense in seeking especially rare or unique 
specimens. In this way I was able to obtain many fine jades from 
numerous noted collections; among the most important of these are 
remarkable examples from the famous collection of Wu Ta-ch‘eng 
(through Fei Chung-sheng, his son-in-law). The late Wu Ta-ch‘eng 
was the foremost collector and critic of archaic jades of the nineteenth 
century. His study of antique jades, Ku yi t‘u k‘ao (“Investigations 


[ 5 | 


PREFACE 


into Ancient Jades with Illustrations’’), published in 1889, is the most 

recent and valuable Chinese contribution to the subject. Other jades 
in my collection come from the possession of Ku Hao-i, a descendant 
of a prominent old Su-chou family. I was fortunate enough also to 
acquire a number of the jades found at Sin-cheng in Ho-nan in 1923, 
the site of the recent important excavation of Chou bronzes. They 
were procured from an ex-Tupan of K‘ai-feng fu, capital of the prov- 
ince. Their workmanship and style are of the highest quality, and 
suggest the existence of a local school of lapidaries, probably confined 
to the district, not second in skill to the makers of the bronzes. 

This collection has been carefully examined, and all attributions 
as to periods have been carefully and critically considered. It was 
also my good fortune to have the active assistance and sympathetic 
co-operation of Dr. Berthold Laufer, Curator in the Field Museum 
of Natural History of Chicago, who has added still further to the sum 
of my obligation and gratitude by preparing this catalogue. 

It is my hope that this collection will serve to interest the public 
in the little known early civilization of China, from the Shang dynasty 
downward, and to further the appreciation of its art. 

New York, March 1, 1927. A. W. Baur. 


INTRODUCTION 


~ A BOUT a year ago I received a letter from Mr. A. W. Bahr 
A who was then in China, informing me of the acquisition of a 

very comprehensive collection of archaic jades and requesting 
me to study it and prepare a descriptive catalogue of it on his behalf. 
Naturally I welcomed the opportunity of widening my experience in 
this attractive field of research, and the fact that Mr. Bahr had ob- 
tained a number of important pieces from Wu Ta-ch‘eng’s collection 
considerably enhanced my curiosity. Wu Ta-ch‘eng’s famous book 
had served as the foundation of my monograph “‘Jade,”’ but, as every 
one knows, the outline sketches in Chinese works of archaeology do 
not allow one to judge the appearance and structure of the stone or 
even details of design which in many cases are misdrawn or may even 
be neglected. The advantage of having the originals in lieu of insuf- 
ficient drawings is self-evident. On going over the collection consist- 
ing of upward of 650 individual pieces almost two-thirds of which 
belong to the early archaic epoch, it surpassed all my expectations; 
and all those who have had the opportunity of viewing the collection 
expressed their keenest appreciation of its scientific and artistic value. 
Of illustrious visitors mention is only made of Crown-prince Gustavus 
Adolphus of Sweden and Queen Marie of Rumania, who were unani- 
mous in their praise. It is very gratifying that meanwhile the entire 
Bahr collection has passed into the possession of Field Museum, and 
I wish to express my obligations to the donors who have kindly con- 
tributed to the fund: Mrs. George T. Smith, Mrs. John J. Borland, 
Miss Kate S. Buckingham, Mr. Martin Ryerson, Mr. Julius Rosen- 
wald, Mr. Otto C. Doering, and Mr. Martin C. Schwab, all of Chi- 
cago. Above all, however, my cordial and lasting gratitude is due 


[es 


INTRODUCTION 


to Mrs. George T. Smith, who took the initiative in the movement 
and aroused general interest in securing this important collection for 
Chicago. Combined with two collections obtained by me in China 
in 1909 and 1923, Field Museum now owns about a thousand pieces 
of Chinese jade of all descriptions and periods, but particularly 
representative of the early dynasties. 7 

One of the many attractive features of these ancient jades is that 
they are carved from a material no longer obtainable and that these 
stones display an infinite variety of colors quite at variance with 
those occurring in the jades of more recent date. The principal sources 
of supply of ancient jade were water-worn bowlders or pebbles fished 
from streams, but the mineral was also quarried in situ in several 
mines located in China. The consumption of this much coveted mate- 
rial progressed so rapidly that the supply became exhausted by the 
third or second century B.c. when the Chinese were compelled to 
search for jade outside of their country and imported it from Upper 
Burma and from Khotan in Turkestan. The latter is usually plain 
white or green, or green mingled with white. The ancient Chinese 
carvings, however, display all sorts of colors—gray, white, white and 
black, pure black, bluish, russet, yellow, brown, fawn, and innumer- 
able shades of green. | 

As the earliest manifestations of artistic tendencies and as expo- 
nents of refined religious sentiments, these archaic jades form a most 
fruitful source for a study of ancient art as well as ancient religious 
and mythological conceptions, and present a veritable treasure-trove 


of information. At the time of the Chou there was no official priest-_ 


hood: the father was the priest of his clan; the prince, the priest of 
his kingdom; and the emperor, the pontifex maximus of the nation. 
Religion mainly consisted in nature-worship: the great cosmic powers, 
Heaven and Earth and the Four Quarters, were the principal objects 


[ 8 | 


. 


1 


INTRODUCTION 


of worship. These six powerful deities, however, were not conceived 
as personal gods, and were accordingly not represented as human 
beings; the conception of anthropomorphic images is entirely foreign 
to China in times prior to Buddhism, but in consonance with the 
abstract metaphysical mind of the ancient Chinese, which reduced all 
phenomena to a fixed numerical system, the images of the supreme 
deities were found by means of geometric construction. The most 
precious material known to them, jade, was utilized in making these 
images. The deity Heaven was conceived of as circular, and his 
image was personified in a perforated disk of jade. There is a great 
variety of such disks of all dimensions and colors. The emperor was 
believed to receive his mandate from Heaven, and by his command 
ruled as the son of Heaven. Hence a disk of this type was also the 
emblem of sovereignty; when the feudal princes paid a visit to the 
emperor’s court, they rendered homage to him by the presentation of 
such a jade disk. As jade was believed to embody qualities of solar 
light and to communicate directly with heavenly powers by means 
of its transcendental properties, the sovereign was able to commune 
and consult with Heaven through the medium of this disk. It was 
also buried with the dead. If of green or bluish color, this jade sym- 
bolizes the natural color of the sky, and further the sprouting and 
budding of vegetation created by Heaven. | 

The philosophy of the ancient Chinese was dualistic and classified 
all phenomena as male and female, as light and darkness, as heat and 
cold, as positive and negative. These two primeval forces were seen 
active in Heaven and Earth, and the union of the two and their 
constant interaction was believed to have resulted in the creation of 
nature and man. They were the two creative forces of the universe. 
Earth was therefore as important a deity as Heaven. Both were 
looked upon as the father and mother of all beings, as the sovereign 


[9 ] 


INTRODUCTION 


was the father and the mother of the nation. A passage in the ancient 
Book of Rites is as follows: ‘‘Sacrifices to the deity Earth were made 
to honor the beneficial actions of Earth, for Earth harbors all beings, 
and Heaven holds the stars and constellations suspended. We derive 
our food and wealth from Earth, we derive the regulation of our 
labors from Heaven. For this reason we honor Heaven and love 
Earth, and we therefore teach our people to return thanks to them.” 
This was the farmer’s emotional religion: to honor Heaven and to 
love Mother Earth. Now Earth was conceived as being flat and 
square or angular outside and rounded in the interior. Therefore, the 
deity Earth was revered under the image of a hollow tube of jade, 
rectangular in cross section and round inside, usually with a short 
projecting neck at both ends. The color of earth was yellow or brown, 
and, if possible, stones of such colors were selected for this image (see 
Plate XVI). The “‘teeth”’ in the corners are compared with the teeth 
of a saw, and the notches between them were wrapped around with 
silken bands. Silk was a gift of the deity Earth, and when silk cocoons 
were offered to the empress, she availed herself of such a tube as a 
weight-stone in weighing silk. When a feudal prince visited another, 
he presented the spouse of his host with a jade symbol of this kind, 
eight inches high. This applies to princes of the first rank. As every- 
thing was regulated by fixed rules, princes of the second and third 
ranks offered pieces only six inches in height; those of the Bs and 
fifth ranks, pieces four inches high. . 

_ This object, accordingly, referred to foiled power and was the 
sovereign emblem of the empress. Made of a smaller size (Plate XVII, 
Fig. 2), it was used for burial purposes, and in the grave it was placed 
on the chest of the corpse. In this case also it alluded to the deity 
Earth. The jade disk symbolizing Heaven was placed on the back of 
the body. The idea underlying this custom was that man as the 

[ 10 ] 


INTRODUCTION 


product of the combined forces of Heaven and Earth and being inter- 
mediary between the two, cannot be separated from them, and should 
also rest between them in his subterranean slumber. 

In general the art of the Chou is impersonal, ritualistic, and sacro- 
sanct, with little or no trace of realism in the designs adorning the 
surfaces of bronze vessels. These principally are of a geometric char- 
acter, and are blended with conventionalized figures of animals, birds, 
reptiles, and fantastic mythological creations. The ornamental jades 
of the same period reveal an amazing feature inasmuch as they allow 
us to discriminate between two essential schools—one working after 
the conventional patterns of the bronze-founders and another freely 
and independently producing naturalistic types of animals, birds, 
fishes, and insects (see Plates X XI and following). 

In the thirty-six plates of this Catalogue altogether one hundred 
and forty-six objects are illustrated; that is, less than one-fourth of 
the whole collection. It was a difficult task to make the proper selec- 
tion from so large a number of specimens, and many new types as 
well as many beautiful carvings, unfortunately, had to be set aside 
for the present. In the new edition of my monograph “‘Jade,”’ how- 
ever, which is in course of preparation, the Bahr collection in its 
entirety will be embodied, and there also the various types will be 
discussed in detail in their historical setting and proper significance. 
The object of this Catalogue is merely to make a preliminary an- 
nouncement of the Bahr collection and point out some of its significant 
features. Even with all its limitations and brevity it will reveal a 
great deal that is new. The archaic period is represented by about 
470 pieces; the Han period, by about 105; and the middle ages (Wei, 
T‘ang, and Sung), by about 70 pieces. B. Laurer. 


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CATALOGUE OF 
ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


Puate I (Frontispiece) 
RECTANGULAR FINELY POLISHED SLAB, SHANG PERIOD 


Of a hard, jade-like serpentine, bluish black in color, intersected all over by a net of 
white veins, 36 x 21 inches, 3 inches thick, 220 lbs. in weight. 

This unusual specimen was found some years ago in considerable 
depth under ground at Ya-chi near Yu Yao, in the prefecture of 
Shao-hing, Che-kiang Province, and immediately aroused great ex- 
citement and sensational speculations among the Chinese. It was 
regarded as a sort of palladium and connected with the exploits of the 
Great Yu (alleged date 2205-2198 s.c.), founder of the Hia dynasty. 
A scholar, Tsou An by name, has written a little notice on this stone 
under the title Ku yii fan kin t’u k‘ao, and more sensibly refers it to the 
period of the Shang dynasty (1766-1123 B.c.). He recalls the famous 
bronze altar formerly in the possession of Tuan Fang and now in the 
Metropolitan Museum of New York, and argues that bronze altars 
were made for the feudal lords, jade altars for the Son of Heaven, that 
plain, undecorated objects are peculiar to the Shang dynasty and 
ornamented objects are characteristic of the Chou dynasty. He re- 
gards this slab as a sort of sacrificial tray on the same line as the yu kin 
referred to in the Li Ki (Couvreur’s edition, Vol. I, p. 548). This is 
not the occasion to discuss and evaluate this scholar’s opinion, which 
in my estimation is not correct. The fact that sacrificial low tables 
of bronze and pottery (e.g., “Pottery of the Han Dynasty,” Plate 
XXIV) to place vessels upon were used in ancient China cannot be 

[ 13 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


doubted, but such tables or trays were easily movable and portable, 
which cannot be said in regard to the stone slab in question. On 
account of its enormous weight it must have been a stationary affair 
permanently set and fixed in one spot; it was not a building-stone (its 
six sides are equally smoothed and polished), nor was it placed on four 
feet as supports. In this event we should justly expect to see at least 
traces left by such supports in the four corners, but this is not the 
case. This slab, therefore, was used as it is, perhaps raised on a solid 
wooden pedestal, and undoubtedly served as an altar in royal or 
imperial worship. As it was found in the soil of the ancient kingdom 
of Ytie, the conclusion may be permissible that this monument is 
non-Chinese and has to be linked with the peculiar culture of Yue. 
Aside from the rarity of the material which I have never seen before 
employed in any carving or otherwise, it is a monumental relic of 
a great antiquity and the product of a consummate skill in stone 
cutting and polishing. 


PuateE IT (Colored) 

ORNAMENTED AXE-HEAD AND CEREMONIAL DISKS, CHOU PERIOD 

J. An unusual axe-head of a fine quality of translucent, gray 
greenish jade with moss green enclosures. It is decorated on both 
sides alike with a conventionalized face of Chou bronze style, bordered 
by a row of double triangles. There is no reason to retain for faces of 
this type the worn-out designation f‘ao-t‘te which is merely the arbi- 
trary interpretation of the Sung archzeologists; as formerly pointed 
out by me, there is a great variety of such faces in the archaic bronzes, 
and they doubtless represent many different types of mythological 
figures or deities. The blade is geetitetnts The perforation is drilled 
from the obverse. 


Right side 11.2 cm long, left side 10.5 cm long. At back 4.5 cm wide, at front 5.1 


cm wide. Thickness 2-4 mm. 


[ 14 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


2. Unique small throwing disk or quoit, of ellipsoid shape and 
translucent, gray jade with opaque white and gray enclosures, due to 
chemical changes. The two sides are jagged, with four projecting 
teeth on each side, an emblem of war. This apparently was quite a 
favorite motif under the Chou, which ultimately assumed the rdle of 
a fixed pattern. We shall meet it again in swords (Plate VI, Fig. 3), 
axes (Plate IX), and disks (Plate XIII, Fig. 1, and Plate XV, Fig. 2). 
The lower curve is provided with a fine blade, so that this disk was 
intended as a weapon. For further explanation see Plate XIII, Fig. 1. 


8.1 cm long. 5-7.3 cm wide. Diameter of opening 3.5 cm. 


3. Unique disk carved from a translucent jade of a peculiar fawn 
color and filled with masses of opaque, clayish white enclosures due to 
desiccation or chemical changes. Two small segments have been cut 
off the sides, the edges being smoothed and polished in the same man- 
ner as the surfaces. This is the first and only type of this kind that has 
come to my notice. Undoubtedly some sort of abstract symbolism 
was associated with this procedure, but what this symbolism was 
cannot even be guessed. The perforation is drilled from one side, 
and the edge thus formed is slightly slanting. 


Diameter 7.5 cm. Diameter of opening on obverse 2.4 cm; on reverse 2.1 cm. 
Length of slanting sides 4.4 and 4.6 cm, respectively. Average thickness 3 mm. 


Piate IIT (Colored) 
CEREMONIAL SCRAPER AND DISK, CHOU PERIOD 
1. Scraper of trapezoidal shape, carved from a beautiful jade 
resplendent with a reddish brown, light yellow in the upper and left 
portions, which are translucent. The cutting edge is along the lower 
side. Three perforations permit the implement to be suspended in a 
vertical position, back upward, edge downward. The two lateral per- 
forations are drilled from the same surface (the one shown in the 
[ 15 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


plate), while the middle and higher one is drilled from the opposite 
side. The perforations are gradually slanting, so that the piece which 
was removed had the shape of an obtuse cone. 


Length over back 10 cm, over cutting edge 12.6 cm. Length of sides 7.3 cm. 
Thickness at back 7-8 mm, gradually tapering toward the blade. 


2. A superb disk emblematic of the deity Heaven, brown, moss 
green, and gray, translucent in the green portions. The outer circle 
is not quite perfect, and this is the case in almost all disks of the 
Shang and Chou periods. One of the former period in the Bahr col- 
lection is quite irregular both in its circumference and thickness. The 
more we advance toward the Han period, the more regular the circle 
of disks will grow; and only under the Han do we encounter perfect 
circles. 


Diameter 20.9-21.1 cm. Diameter of opening 6.2 cm. The opening is not exactly 
in the centre. Thickness varying from 2-6 mm on the inner edge, 1-2 mm on the 
outer edge. 


PuatsE IV (Colored) 
AXE-HEAD AND CEREMONIAL DISK, CHOU PERIOD 

1. Axe-head of translucent gray greenish jade, brown along the 
edges and filled with sprays of russet lines due to the presence of iron 
-oxide in the stone. Rounded in the upper left and lower right cor- 
ners, right angle in the lower left corner. Cutting edge on the right, 
gently curved. Perforation drilled from one side. A perfect and 
elegant specimen. 


12.4-12.7 cm long. 6.5 em wide at back, 7.7 cm wide at blade. Diameter of 
perforation 0.9—1 cm on obverse, 0.6 cm on reverse. 


2. A beautiful manicolored disk symbolic of the deity Heaven. 
Translucent stone in black, brown, russet, yellow, and gray, with 
white clouds. Saw-mark on the obverse. 

[ 16 | 


S., ee eS eet 
tear 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


Diameter 16.5 cm. Diameter of opening 6.2 cm. Of uneven thickness along the 
outer edge, varying from 1-3 mm; on inner edge 3 mm. 


PLATE V 
CEREMONIAL JADE KNIFE AND DAGGER, CHOU PERIOD 


1. The knife was presumably an emblem of sovereign power, and 
is of excellent quality both as to material and workmanship. The 
stone is of a mottled green interspersed with yellowish white clouds 
and marked with black spots and lines. The blade, very fine (only 1 
mm thick), runs along the left side. The upper end is gently sloping. 
A peculiar feature of this implement is formed by five rounded notches 
at the back, the two outer ones being placed opposite the two per- 
forations, and the central one being located in the middle of the back. 
Aside from a practical purpose, it may be inferred from the symbolic 
tendencies of the Chou period, these five notches must have had some 
symbolic significance. The implement was obviously suspended in a 
vertical position, blade downward, while silk or hemp cords were 
passing through the perforations and over the notches and were taken 
up and knotted above the central notch. Perhaps silk threads of five 
different colors (the wu se: black, red, green, white, yellow) in refer- 
ence to the five notches were utilized to symbolize the five points of 
the compass (wu fang: north, south, east, west, and centre) or the 
five elements (wu hing: water, fire, wood, metal, earth). The two 
perforations are well balanced and drilled from one side only (the 
upper side, which is shown in the illustration). 

Cf. “Jade,” Plate VIII, Fig. 2. 

41 em long over the: blade, 39.3 cm over the back. Upper edge 8.4 cm long, lower 
edge 7.2 cm. Average thickness along back 3-6 mm; of blade 1 mm. Perforations 
1 cm in diameter on obverse, 7-8 mm on reverse. Another jade knife in the Bahr 


collection, of a similar type, is very thin and fine, almost like paper, and extremely 
light in weight. 


[ 17 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


2. Ceremonial short sword or dagger carved from a porphyritic 
rock or diabase of great hardness, black being the fundamental color. 
The surface is dotted with numerous red spots, the lower part is 
almost entirely fiery red in color. This is the only object of this ma- 
terial and peculiar coloration that has come to my notice; in its shape 
also it is unique, and its sharp, regular outlines and well-balanced 
proportions are very remarkable. The two projections function- 
ing as guards set the hilt clearly off from the blade. The perfora- 
tion in the lower portion of the hilt is possibly of a more recent date 
when someone may have conceived the idea of carrying this imple- 
ment as a protective amulet; or if it be old, it is conceivable that by 
means of it the dagger was suspended in the grave, acting as a 
demon-killer and disperser of evil influences. 


27.8 cm long. Blade 5.7 cm wide. Hilt 4.3-5 em wide, 6 cm long, 4-5 mm long; 
over the guards 6.7 cm wide. The blade is 4 mm thick above, 2 mm in the middle, 
and gradually attenuates downward to 1 mm. 


PiatE VI 
CEREMONIAL KNIFE, CHISEL, AND SWORD, CHOU PERIOD 

1. Ceremonial knife almost identical in type with the one in 
Plate V, Fig. 1, but of smaller dimensions. The stone is of a mottled 
yellow intermixed with black clouds and speckled grayish white. The 
particular feature of this implement is that it is possessed of two 
blades—one along the left long side curved inwardly and another 
along the upper, gradually slanting side, whereas the opposite lower 
side is blunt and runs almost straight. Two functions, accordingly, 
are combined in this implement—those of a knife and a chisel. It is 
finely wrought and polished with great care. There are two propor- 
tionately large perforations near the back, the lower one presenting 
a curlous anomaly inasmuch as it consists of two joined circles, the 

upper one of which is slightly larger. 

[ 18 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


27 cm long over the blade, 25.3 cm over the back, 6.7 cm over the upper narrow 
side, and 6 cm over the lower narrow side. 


2. Ceremonial sword-like chisel, skilfully carved from a bowlder 
of mustard color whose rough surface appears in the hilt, but other- 
wise the implement is well smoothed and polished. The hilt with 
straight upper line (as in Fig. 3 of the same Plate, while that in 
Plate V, Fig. 2, is rounded) and concave sides is perforated and 
clearly set off from the slender blade whose sides are elegantly curved. 
The cutting edge runs obliquely, forming an obtuse angle on one side 
and an acute angle with sharp point on the opposite side. This type 
has obviously been evolved from an everyday implement, and iron 
slips with a beveled steel edge of the same form are still used in 


China, or at least were used during the Kwang-sii era. 


37 cm long along. the right side, 31 cm along the left side. Width 4.3 cm above, 3.6 
cm in the middle, 4.4 em below. Cutting edge 7 cm long. Average thickness 8 mm. 


3. Ceremonial sword-like weapon, an emblem of war. This beau- 
tiful and unique specimen is carved from a jade bowlder of an exquisite 
dark green color mingled with gray clouds and clusters of black specks. 
On one side the original condition of the stone and its color is well 
preserved, while the other side (shown in the illustration) 1s much 
weathered and disintegrated into an indistinct yellowish gray. It was 
this side on which the sword must have lain in the grave, exposed as 
it was to chemical actions of the soil. The striking characteristics of 
this implement are the crescent shape and the jagged appearance of 
the blade, which almost resembles a saw, and the regular notches 
which decorate the upper portion. The shoulders, to the right and 
left of the rectangular hilt, are each provided with two notches, and 
these continue to the number of nine on each side. These notches 
form “teeth.” Teeth, in the days of the Chou, symbolized warfare, 
and troops were levied by means of an instrument carved into the 


[ 19 | 


eh we SMe Sys) ee 
< wie wrest 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


shape of teeth (cf. “Jade,” p. 101). I am inclined to think that the 
object under discussion is a near kin to the ya chang mentioned in the 
Chou li and at any rate answers this purpose much better than the 
specimen to which Wu Ta-ch‘eng has assigned this rdle. 


52 cm long, left side without hilt 42.5 cm long, right side without hilt 44.5 cm 
long. Hilt 7 em wide, blade 11.5 cm wide above, 10 cm in the middle, 11.8 cm 
below. Average thickness 6-9 mm. 


PuateE VII 
MISCELLANEOUS OBJECTS 

1. A snake of brown and black jade, of surprising naturalness, the 
body writhing in three coils and the tail in spiral form (6.5 x 3 cm, 
2.5 cm high). This object is said to have been found in southern 
China, and is presumably a work of the Han period. As there are two 
perforations, one in the end of the tail and another produced by the 
coils of the body, the carving could have been attached to some 
object. It may have been worn as an ornament, perhaps as a charm 
against snake-bites. Han period. 

2. Miniature official head-dress of ancient style, of gray trans- 
lucent jade partially decomposed. T*ang period or earlier. 
5.4x 3.4cm. 3.7 cm high. 


3. Ceremonial jade thrusting sword, Chou period, with curved 
blade in two elegant sweeps and with concave sides. Black in color, 
with gray greenish clouds. Thicker along the edges than in the middle 
portion. Rectangular hilt. Sword-guard in shape of two jagged cres- 


cents on the sides, one higher than the other; they are connected by a 


double band of very slightly incised lozenges. On one side there are 

in the lower band five nail-marks of irregular shapes, perhaps sym- 

bolizing the five fingers clutched around the hilt. On the one hand, 

this specimen is remarkable for its perfect symmetry and graceful 
[ 20 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


outlines; on the other hand, the irregular position of the guards and 
the two asymmetrical points of the blade form a strange, but not 
unpleasing contrast. 


Length of right side 55 cm, of left side 52.7 cm. Width of hilt 5.9 em. Width 
over guards 9.5 cm. Width of blade 6.5, 5.7 cm. Average thickness 5-8 mm. 


4. Saddle-shaped ornament of gray and dark brown jade and con- 
vex shape, Chou period. Its form is somewhat suggestive of the 
fungus of immortality (ling chi). The upper surface is engraved with 
delicate designs of standing birds with long necks, of a quite unusual 
style. Presumably it formed part of the ornaments used in a horse’s 
harness. 

5. Charm of black jade, in shape of a shoulder-blade bone, prob- 
ably worn in the girdle as an ornament and amulet, Chou period. 
Divination from the cracks of the burnt shoulder blade of a sheep isa 
very ancient practice among many tribes of Central Asia (cf. R. 
Andree, Scapulimantia, Boas Anniversary Volume, New York, 1906, 
pp. 143-165). There are many fine pieces of black jade in the Bahr col- 
lection like axe-heads, tubular beads, insects, pigeons and other birds. 
6.4 x 4.5 cm. 

Puate VIII 


CEREMONIAL DOUBLE-EDGED DAGGER AND CHISEL, CHOU PERIOD 


1. This dagger belongs to the same type as the one formerly in the 
possession of the late Viceroy Tuan Fang (“‘Jade,”’ Plate IX), except 
that the shape of the hilt is different. The stone is sea-green in color, 
beautifully cut and polished, extremely thin, and translucent. Like 
Tuan Fang’s dagger it is double-edged, and the blades are still fairly 
sharp and work satisfactorily in cutting paper. The two cutting edges 
terminate into a sharp point on the right side so that a triangle is 
formed at the end; it was thus a weapon designed for thrusting, 

[ 21 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


stabbing, and cutting. The surface of the blade is flattened out into two 
_ zones separated by a raised medial line. While in Tuan Fang’s dagger 
the hilt forms a rectangle decorated with bands of grooved lines, we 
encounter here a hilt of a peculiar asymmetric style which secures a 
firm grip for the hand and offers a pleasing shape. 


22 cm long, 4.4 em wide above, 5.2 cm wide below. 


Another dagger in the Bahr collection, ivory yellow in color, ter- 
minates into an acute-angled triangle with sharp edges. It is provided 
with guards marked by five notches on each side, making four “teeth 
of war.” 

2. Ceremonial chisel of plant-green jadeite filled with masses of 
white clouds. It is similar in type to the one illustrated in “Jade,” 
Plate IV, save that in the latter the upper part forms a straight line, 
while in this case both handle and blade form a curved, convex line. 
The perforation is in the centre between the two long sides, and has 
been equally drilled from the upper and lower sides, leaving a ridge in 
the interior, which is visible in the illustration. 

18.6 cm long, 8-9.8 cm wide, 3-5 mm thick. 


Puate IX 
NOTCHED CEREMONIAL AXE-HEADS, CHOU PERIOD 

1. Axe-head of a greenish material intersected by brown veins, 
decorated along the sides with the “‘teeth of war’ (not unlike molar 
teeth). Compare Plate VI, Fig. 3, and the similar specimen in what 
formerly was Wu Ta-ch‘eng’s collection in “Jade,” p. 43. The blade 
(on the lower side) is blunt. The perforation is drilled from one side 
only (that is, the side shown in the illustration). Both surfaces and 
edges are finely carved and polished. 


12.3 cm long, 10.6 em wide at the butt, 11 cm wide over the blade. Diameter 
of the perforation 2.1 cm. 


[ 22 ] 


ae 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


2. Ceremonial hatchet of brown jade, partially white due to de- 
composition, the upper left corner being deep black. The surfaces are 
much weathered and pitted. This is the type of shoulder-headed or 
spade-shaped celt which I discussed at length in “Jade” (pp. 73-79) 
and of which at that time only bronze types from China were known 
tome. The present specimen goes to prove that the bronze types were 
preceded by types in stone and jade, the latter being utilized for 
ritual purposes. It is very elegant in shape and of most careful and 
perfect technique. It is decorated with three sets of teeth, along the 
sides and at the top of the hilt, the notches being angular, and the 
rectangular teeth being arranged in staircase fashion. The cutting 
edge forms a curve above and a right angle below; it is blunt. 

15.8 cm long, 8-8.3 cm wide, 3-4 mm thick. 


PLATE X 
INCOMPLETE DISK AND DISK IN THREE SEGMENTS, EARLY 
| HAN PERIOD 


1. Incomplete disk or ring (kue, “Jade,” pp. 210, 215) of light 
green jade in the portion which is dark in the illustration and light 
brown mingled with white spots toward the edges (light in the illus- 
tration). Phoenix and dragon with a lizard body and single horn are 
carved in flat relief and looking at each other. The same design is 
reproduced on the other side, except that the position of the animals 
is reversed, so that also on the reverse the bird appears on the left, 
the dragon on the right side. While in general the two are alike on 
either side, there are interesting minor differences; for instance, the 
bird’s head on the reverse is larger; it has six tail-feathers on the 
reverse, but eight on the obverse. The bird has a horn-like projection 
emerging from behind its head, of the same style as the dragon’s horn, 
a tuft of three feathers on the crown of its head, and two long feathers 
falling down from under its beak, likewise in harmony with what 

[ 23 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


might be styled the dragon’s beard. The dragon is equipped with a 
sort of small elephant’s trunk proceeding from its nose in a curved 
line. A rectangular slip (3.7 cm long and 2 mm wide) is sawed out 
between the heads of the two creatures, indicating that they are sepa- 
rated and cannot reach each other and symbolizing the rupture of 
amicable relations between two parties. This presumably was the 
emblem of an imperial divorce, the dragon being emblematic of the 
sovereign, the phoenix of the empress. 

The shape of the disk is an irregular oval, the lengthwise diameter 
being 12.7 cm, the horizontal diameter 11.8 cm. The opening is an 
almost regular circle with a diameter of 5.8 cm. Average thickness 
2-8 mm. Width of disk 2.9-3.6 cm. 

2. Jade disk in three separate segments. Translucent, gray jade 
marked by regular brown lines, leaving yellowish opaque segments 
along the edges. Each section has a perforation at each end, drilled 
from one side. In the upper section a small piece on the right side is 
chipped off. Disks of this type (compare Plate XI, Fig. 2, and Plate 
XIII, Fig. 1) were doubtless attached to the shroud by means of 
hempen or silken cords passing through the perforations, and were 
placed under the back of the corpse (“Jade,”’ p. 138) to symbolize 
the deity Heaven. 

Diameter 12.2-12.6 cm. Diameter of opening 7 cm. Width of disk 2.7-2.9 em. 
Average thickness 2-3 mm. 
Pirate XI 


WHEEL DISK, CHOU PERIOD, AND DISK IN FOUR SEGMENTS, 
EARLY HAN PERIOD 


1. ‘Wheel disk’’ of dark green jade,—a novel type, being some- 
what similar to, but not identical with the jadeite ring illustrated in | 
“Jade,” Plate XXV, Fig. 6. By the name “wheel disk” I do not mean 
to suggest any relationship of this type with a wheel, but merely 

[ 24 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


desire to have a brief and convenient term for this new type whose 
origin and significance remain to be studied. The inner circle is almost 
perfect, but the outer circle is rather irregular. 

Diameter 14cm. Diameter of opening 6.8 cm. Total height of wheel 2 cm. Wheel 
rises above the surface of the ring 6-8 mm. Thickness of wheel 3 mm. Width of 
ring 3.5 cm. Average thickness of ring 1—1.5 mm. 

2. Disk of yellow brown serpentine interspersed with white clouds, 
in four segments. Each segment has two perforations at one end and 
a single one at the opposite end; the four are so arranged that the 
double perforation connects with the single one. Note the saw-marks 
on two pieces. The four segments do not form a perfect circle, but run 
in somewhat irregular concave lines (compare Plate XIII, Fig. 3). 
The lower side is much disintegrated. 

Diameter 17.5-18-19 em. Diameter of opening 7-7.5 cm. Width of segments 
5-5.5 cm. 

A similar disk consisting of four segments, but with a different 
arrangement of the perforations (four in each segment, one in each of 
the four corners) is figured in the recent work of H. d’Ardenne de 
Tizac, L’Art chinois classique (Plate 29a). This author is inclined to 
think that the division into four sections was not necessarily prompted 
by any intention of symbolism, and argues that this disk rather large 
and extremely primitive dates from an epoch when technical methods 
were little developed; it seems to him that it was simply easier to do 
the work in four pieces than in one. I do not share this opinion. 
Technically the three- and four-piece disks are more laborious; first 
the complete disk was sawed out, and it was then sawed into three or 
four parts each side of which had to be smoothed and polished. This 
is by no means a primitive process, but the product of an advanced 
stage of culture. Moreover I am convinced that nothing in ancient 
Chinese art is accidental, but that everything has a definite meaning 

[ 25 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


and purpose. There was assuredly a volitional symbolism underlying 
the division into three or four. 


PLATE XII 


WHEEL DISK WITH DESIGNS PAINTED IN VERMILION, CHOU 
PERIOD. DECORATED DISK, LATE HAN PERIOD 


1. “Wheel disk” of ivory or cream colored jade, disintegrated into 
a dark gray on the inner side of the wheel. On both faces of the disk a 
geometric design in concentric arrangement is painted in bright ver- 
milion which was preserved under a heavy layer of loess; particles of 
loess still adhere to it in many places, as may be recognized in the 
reproduction. A complete vermilion circle was outlined along the 
outer edge, but is only partially preserved. There is in the Bahr col- 
lection another wheel disk of the same material and size, likewise 
decorated with vermilion designs, so that these disks were possibly 
used in pairs. These are the sole examples of ancient painted jade 
known to me, and have a particular interest in offering very early 
attempts at drawing and painting. In the forthcoming edition of 
“Jade”’ careful drawings of these designs will be reproduced. 
Diameter 12-12.3 cm. Diameter of opening 5.7 cm. Wheel rises above surface 
of ring 3 mm. 

2. Disk of gray jade overlaid with vermilion on both sides and 
decorated all over with plain spirals (known as “sleeping silkworm 
cocoons’) arranged in four concentric rows. 


Diameter 13.6 cm. Diameter of opening 4.3 cm. Thickness 4 mm. 


PuateE XIII 


NOTCHED DISK, CHOU PERIOD, AND DISK IN THREE SEGMENTS, 
EARLY HAN PERIOD 


1. This disk, of dark green jade, is the most interesting of all disks 
in the Bahr collection, as it represents the combination of a disk with 
[ 26 ] 


: 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


a weapon. Its character as a weapon is brought out by two facts— 
the six notches or “teeth of war” on each side (cf. Plate II, Fig. 2) and 
the curved blade along the upper edge, very similar to the blade of the 
ceremonial jade axes. This implement, accordingly, was designed to 
serve as a throwing discus or quoit like the chakras or quoits of India 
and related disks found in the neolithic periods of the Mediterranean 
culture-areas (compare C. Buttin, Les Anneaux-disques préhistoriques 
et les tchakras de I’Inde, Annecy, 1903; G. Wilke, Sidwesteuropaische 
Megalithkultur, 1912, pp. 96-99). The Chinese jade type, as it is, of 
purely ceremonial significance, must go back to an earlier and plainer 
type of stone actually used for hurling. The Indian chakra is men- 
tioned in the Annals of the Sui dynasty (Sui shu) with reference to the 
country P*o-li; it is described as a disk of the size of a Chinese metal 
mirror, with a central perforation and the outer rim jagged like a 
saw; when thrown at a man from afar, he will surely be hit. 


15.4 x 13.6 cm. Diameter of opening 6.4-6.5 cm. Compare the miniature type 
in Plate Il, Fig. 2. 


2. Disk of light green jade interspersed with white clouds, made in 
three separate segments, like the one in Plate X, Fig. 2, each with a 
perforation at the ends. The three pieces join perfectly into a com- 
plete disk. They were evidently connected by cords passing through 
the holes, and the disk was then attached to the shroud. The holes 
are all drilled from one side and double as large on the side drilled as 
on the opposite side (4 and 2 mm in diameter, respectively). 


Diameter 12.4 cm. Diameter of opening 4.9 cm. 


| Puate XIV 
LARGE DECORATED CEREMONIAL DISK, HAN PERIOD 
Of green jade. Decorated in concentric zones, interlaced bands 
with spiral patterns in the outer zone and five rows of small, plain 
[ 27 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


spirals in the inner zone. These spirals are alternately open above or 
below. For the purpose of arranging these spirals in regular rows a 
network of intersecting lines was incised in such a way that each 
spiral is enclosed in a hexagon and that two vacant triangles are left 
between two spirals. The outer and inner circles are perfect. Com- 
pare Plate X, Fig. 2. 


Diameter 23.7 cm. Diameter of opening 4.2 cm. Width of ring 9.5 em. Average 
thickness 5 mm. 


PLATE XV 


JAGGED CEREMONIAL DISKS, HAN PERIOD (1) AND 
CHOU PERIOD (2) 

1. Incomplete disk of clear, gray, translucent jade interspersed 
with small, white, cloudy spots; a brown speckle surrounded by white 
clouds on the left (visible on both sides of the disk) and tiny brown 
flecks on the lower right side. The periphery of the disk is divided into 
four sections of equal arcs, each marked by a deep notch which forms 
a horn-like projection. There is a break at the top of the disk, a 
rectangular slip (4 mm wide) having been sawed out. This object 
therefore belongs to the type kie (compare Plate X, Fig. 1), and also 
displays some relationship to the type stan kz in the following Fig. 2. 


Diameter 13.8 cm. Diameter of opening 6.8 cm. Width of ring 2.5-3.6 em. Width 
of notches 7 mm. Thickness at outer rim 1 mm, at inner rim 1-2 mm. 


2. Jagged jade disk (so-called siian ki) from the collection of Wu 
Ta-ch‘eng, identical with the one reproduced from his book in “Jade,” 
pp. 105 and 107. The material is a grayish white jade interspersed 
with opaque, cloudy and russet spots and with dark brown portions 
and veins along the rim. As to the reverse in Wu’s sketch (p. 107), the 
two plain vertical lines are intended for saw-marks, while the horizon- 
tal double line denotes a deep groove (1-2 mm wide) intentionally 

[ 28 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


carved in the stone. The periphery is divided into three sections 
(almost in the same style as the preceding specimen is divided into 
four), each section being equipped with the teeth of war. 


Diameter 13.6 cm. Diameter of opening 6.7 cm. Width of notches 1.2 cm. Thick- 
ness 3, 4 and 5 mm. 


In 1923 I obtained in China a disk of the same type, but divided 
into four sections and each section provided with three notches. 


PiuatE XVI 
EMBLEM OF THE DEITY EARTH (ta ts‘ung), CHOU PERIOD 


A very archaic type, yellow, the color corresponding to Earth. The 
surface is considerably decomposed, pitted and weathered away, par- 
tially discolored into a whitish gray; the material is a mineral of a high 
degree of toughness and high specific gravity (3.3). Square in section, 
the object was perforated with a tubular drill from both ends, the bor- 
ings gradually narrowing toward the middle where is left a solid 
partition with but a small opening in the centre—the only case of its 
kind known to me. Each of the four corners is divided into eleven 
zones by means of twelve sharp incisions or notches. The zones are 
not decorated. 


27.2 cm high. The four sides each 6.3 cm wide above, 7 cm wide below. Diameter 
of the two openings 3.6-3.7 cm. Each of the cornered sections is 2 cm high. 


Pirate XVII 
TWO EMBLEMS OF EARTH (ts°ung), CHOU PERIOD 
1. Black jade interspersed with brown and gray spots, highly pol- 
ished, also in the interior, in good state of preservation. Divided into 
five zones making five projections in each of the four corners, each 
zone ornamented with three fine line bands. Between the shorter and 


longer bands there is an incised circle with a smaller concentric circle 
[ 29 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


and two short lines opposite each other outside of the circle. Worked 
with great precision, finesse, and much regard to details. 


13.7 cm high. 6.2 em wide above, 6.5 cm below. Diameter of openings 5.5-5.7 
cm. | 


2. Chocolate brown with white and greenish speckles. Corners 
rounded. Each corner is decorated with two parallel raised bands. 
Three deeply incised grooves and three cavities alternate in each band, 
and are divided by a vertical incision. This object belongs to the type 
tsu ts‘ung (“Jade,” pp. 137 et seq.). 


2.6 cm high. Diameter of openings 6.2 cm, the circle is almost perfect. 


Puate XVIII 


JADE SANDALS, CHOU PERIOD 


Two jade plaques in the shape of a shoe-sole. ,The Chinese scholar 
who ceded these unique pieces to Mr. Bahr expressed the opinion that 
the two form a unit and, being exactly of the shape and length of a 
human foot, were attached to the soles of the emperor’s shoes during 
the imperial sacrifice to Heaven. The underlying idea was, he ex- 
plained, that the emperor’s feet should not be sullied by immediate 
contact with the soil. 

It is correct that these two plaques must have been closely 
attached to some foundation, as demonstrated by the row of perfora- 
tions running along the edges. The upper one has twenty-one perfo- 
rations quite evenly distributed, the nine around the curve being 
placed at intervals of about 1 cm (more or less); the lower one has 
fourteen in a symmetrical arrangement. It is true also that the two 
plaques, as shown in the plate, fit perfectly, their respective width 
being identical (8.5 cm) and the two central perforations being located 
on the same line, so that the two plaques could have easily been lashed 
together. They are also of a fairly uniform thickness (8-4 mm). 

[ 30 ] 


\ GR eee 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


There is one striking discrepancy, however, and this is that the two 
plaques are carved from different stones which considerably vary in 
structure and color. The upper one is light greenish in color, inter- 
spersed with white clouds above and with brown blackish strata 
beneath. The lower plaque is of a green color, rather uniform, with an 
abundance of massive, white clouds. 

It is conceivable that each of these slabs formed a sandal of its 
own; the rounded portion obviously was the place for the heel. In 
order to raise the foot above the ground and prevent its contact with 
the soil, it was not necessary to use a jade plaque the entire length of 
the foot. Each of these plaques (the upper one is 14.8-14.9 cm long, 
the lower one is 12.8 cm long) was capable of serving this purpose. 
It is interesting that the former is exactly 7 inches, the latter 6 inches 
long according to the foot measure of the Han period. Both plaques 
are highly polished, but it is noteworthy that on the lower sides they 
are worn out and rough; these sides, in all probability, had never been 
polished as they were designed for wear and tear. The upper slab has 
a maximum width of 9.5 cm above and gradually narrows until it 
reaches a width of 8.5 cm at the base. The lower one has the same 
width at the base, but slightly narrows toward the curvature to 7.5 
cm. It will be noticed that the curves in the two are of different shape; 
it seems to me, therefore, they must sp esac two different sandals 
belonging to different feet. 

We read in Chinese records of the discovery of jade shoes in ancient 
graves. In a.p. 479 a tomb was rifled by brigands in Siang-yang, 
Hu-pei Province. According to a tradition this tomb was regarded as 
that of king Chao of Ch‘u (515-489 B.c.). In this tomb were discov- 
ered many precious objects like jade shoes (or, according to another 
reading, pattens), a jade screen, and books consisting of bamboo tab- 
lets. The last-named go to show that the contents of this grave must 

[ 31 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


have gone back to a great antiquity. There is a Jade-shoe Rock in 
_ I-chang connected with a traditional story to the effect that a king of 
Yiie when crossing the river left a pair of jade shoes which he wore and 
that the imprints left by these are still visible in the rock. Unfortu- 
nately, there is no description of this jade footgear, but we may 
imagine that it was on the order of the sandals here figured and 
described. 


PLATE XIX 
DECORATED JADE ORNAMENTS, CHOU PERIOD 


The five ornaments reproduced in this Plate in the size of the origi- 
nals, likewise the disk in the following Plate and the tiger-head in 
Plate XXXIV, Fig. 5, according to Mr. Bahr’s information, were dis- 
covered in a tomb at Sin-cheng south of Cheng chou, in the prefecture 
of K‘ai-feng, Ho-nan Province, a locality that has in recent years 
obtained fame owing to the discovery of an important series of 
bronzes. These have been reproduced and described in a Chinese 
work Sin-cheng ch‘u tu ku chi t‘u chi (3 vols.), published in 1923 by 
Li Ju-kien, in which also a few jade objects are figured. 

Whether the pieces in question actually come from Sin-cheng or 
not is immaterial; the main point is that all of them represent the 
climax of the lapidary’s art, display the same style, and must have 
emanated from one local school, or possibly even from the hands of 
one and the same artist. In technical skill and artistic quality these 
gems surpass anything heretofore known of Chou art. 

1. This plaque, like the other pieces in this Plate, formed part of 
the complex girdle-pendant worn by the people of the Chou period. 
Uniformly clear and grayish, translucent jade, admirably carved alike 
on both faces and even on the upper and lower narrow sides. The style 
of the design, as also in Fig. 2, corresponds exactly to that of the Chou 

[ 32 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


bronze ornamentation. There are traces of vermilion in the deep 
incisions. Perforated horizontally straight through from the left to 
the right. There are three notches on the upper side and four on the 
lower side, probably for holding the silk band or cord that passed 
through the perforation and was then tied around the plaque. 


Thickness 5-7 mm. Diameter of perforation 4-5 mm. — 


2. Thin, translucent plaque of the same material as 1. Decorated 
only on the obverse; the reverse is plain, but elegantly polished. A 
conventionalized monster-head is presumably intended in the design. 


Thickness at upper end 3 mm, at sides 2 mm, at lower end 1 mm. 


3. Oblong, rectangular plaque of pure white jade, a masterpiece of 
technique, decorated with spiral designs alike on both sides; the unit 
of pattern is repeated eight times on either side. It is clearly, pre- 
cisely and firmly cut. Many traces of vermilion are left in the inci- 
sions (they appear black in the illustration). Perforated lengthwise 
clear through the centre. There are seven notches on each long side 


and two at the upper and lower ends, to the right and left of the per- 


foration, probably serving for the passage of silk cords. 


Thickness in the middle 7 mm, toward the rims 4 mm. Diameter of perforation 
4 mm. 


4. Ornament of gray jade (same as 1 and 2), rounded on the ob- 
verse and flat on the reverse, decorated on both sides; for this reason 
it could not have been used as a button, but must also have served as 
an ornament in the girdle-pendant. The obverse shows two animals 
of a nondescript species in the round; the reverse, a single animal of 
the same type. The perforation, not in the centre, was drilled from 
the reverse, where it is 4 mm in diameter, while it is 2 mm on the 
obverse. Average thickness 3 mm. 

[ 33 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


5. Tubular bead of light greenish jade perforated vertically and 
_ decorated with a continuous, incised spiral pattern all around. The 
two flattened ends form an oval with a diameter of 10-12 mm. 


PLATE XX 
DECORATED JADE DISK, CHOU PERIOD 


Carved from a light greenish, translucent jade and decorated on 
the obverse with a firmly engraved spiral pattern of Chou style, the 
unit of design being repeated ten times,—a masterpiece of the lapi- 
dary’s art. The band is bordered by a finely engraved rope pattern 
along the outer and inner rims. The reverse is plain, and was coated 
with a heavy layer of vermilion which is mixed with loess. 


Diameter 11.8 cm. Diameter of opening 6.2 cm. Thickness 2-3 mm. 


PLATE XXI 
NATURALISTIC AND CONVENTIONALIZED OX-HEADS, CHOU PERIOD 

These and the other small animal ornaments illustrated in the fol- 
lowing plates were interred with the dead and presumably attached to 
the shroud. They are carved only on the obverse. All of these little 
gems have perforations for attachment, although these are not in 
every case visible in the illustration. They were intentionally exe- 
cuted as inconspicuously as possible; for instance, in the ox-head of 
Fig. 1 a tiny hole is drilled from the reverse and connects with the slit 
forming the animal’s mouth. It is not necessary to suppose that orna- 


ments of this type were exclusively made for burial purposes; many of 


them may have been worn by the living, and were buried with them 

like everything else that was dear to them during life. In this plate of 

ox-heads a naturalistic (1-2, 5-6) and conventionalized (8-10) style 

with an intermediate type (3-4, 7) may be easily distinguished. In 1 

and 2, of opaque gray jade, the horns and ears, eyes and nose are 
| 34 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


treated in a naturalistic style and clearly carved. In 8-10 the horns 
assume the form of a pillar which is even surmounted by a well set-off 
capital: this is the style of the Chou bronze-founders, and it is obvious 
that this school of lapidaries derived its inspiration from the decora- 
tions of the sacrosanct bronze vessels. Another school of naturalistic 
tendencies flourished, perhaps in some other locality, and may have 
worked after traditions going back to the Shang period. The pillar- 
shaped pattern appears again in an animal that bears some relation to 
a tiger (Plate XXIII, Fig. 3, and see Pelliot, Jades archaiques de Chine, 
Plate XXV). Between the horns of 8 appears a rectangular appendix 
which somewhat abbreviated also occurs in 2. In 9-10 two hooks are 
attached to the inner sides of the pillars and result in a sort of heart- 
shaped figure in the open space. The naturalistic horns are engraved 
with plain angular spirals, with a herring-bone pattern in addition in 
1. As the ox was the sacred animal employed in agriculture for draw- 
ing the plough and man’s helpmate in winning his daily bread, it is 
conceivable that ornaments of this type were favorite with the class 
of farmers. 
: Prate XXII 


CONVENTIONALIZED ANIMAL-HEADS (1-4) AND CROUCHING 
BUFFALO (5), CHOU PERIOD 


1. Brown-yellow stone carved out of an almost rectangular slab; 
back hollow, front of two slanting sides with a ridge in the middle on 
which the nose is represented. The face is human, the eyes are denoted 
by circles. The two lateral tips above the forehead are each perforated, 
likewise the lower right and left tips; the left tip is broken off. 

3.8 x 2.3cem. 3 mm thick. 


2. Ox-head of green translucent jade, carved on one side, partially 
in naturalistic, partially in conventional style. 
3.9 x 3.4 cm, 2-4 mm thick. 
[ 35 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


3. Gray white jade, solid carving from a tubular piece rounded on 
the back and angular in front (like Fig. 1), perforated lengthwise. 


Conventionalized animal or demoniacal face. Lines on forehead, eyes __ 


and eyebrows in relief. Back plain and polished. 


5.3 em long. 2.5 em wide above, 2.1 cm below. Diameter of perforation above 
8 mm, below 7 mm. 


4. Dark green jade carved on obverse with a strongly conven- 
tionalized nondescript face. 

2.5 x 2.4cem. 5mm thick in the centre, gradually tapering toward 
the edge. There is a perforation in the base connecting with the 
reverse. 

5. Plastic figure of a crouching buffalo of clear plant-green jade. 
Body and head with horns are naturalistically modelled, but angular 
spirals are carved on the horns, the eyes are rectangular in shape, and 
round spirals adorn the nostrils. The tail and the four legs are repre- 
sented. This is a very fine and striking example of ancient glyptic art, 
exceedingly well and proportionately modelled. 
5x 2.4cm. 1.5 em high. 


Puate XXIII 
TIGERS AND OTHER ANIMALS, CHOU PERIOD 


The tiger occupied a well-defined place in ancient Chinese mytholo- 
gy and religion. Besides Heaven and Earth, the ancient Chinese 
worshipped and deified four other cosmic powers,—the four quarters, 
east, south, west, and north which simultaneously were identified 
with the four seasons of the year. The region of the east was wor- 
shipped under the image of a green jade tablet, the south with a red 
jade tablet, the north with a black jade piece of semicircular shape. 
While these were geometrical constructions, the deity of the west 
formed a notable exception, for it was revered under a white jade tab- 

[ 36 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


let engraved with the image of a tiger. This is the oldest example of a 
zoomorphic image of a deity. In this case the tiger represents a celes- 
tial deity symbolizing the palace of the west and at the same time the 
autumn. In astronomy, the tiger as symbol of the autumn was the 
star Orion. The tiger was regarded as a solar animal, the lord of the 
mountains, the king of all the quadrupeds. Huang-ti, one of the 
ancient legendary sovereigns, is said to have tamed tigers for purposes 
of war, and it was observed that in the autumn the animal descended 
from the mountains to make war on the human habitations. The 
tigers mate toward the autumnal equinox, the young are born toward 
the end of April and make their début in May, but still remain in their » 
mountain strongholds. In the zodiac, therefore, the tiger represents 
a sign that marks the commencement of the summer. In the autumn 
when the tiger cubs have gained sufficient strength, they leave the 
mountains to invade the villages, and this event signals the inaugura- 
tion of the autumn. The severity of the autumnal season was aptly 
symbolized by the tiger’s ferocity. What the Chinese worshipped was 
not the tiger itself as an animal, but it was the tiger as the personifica- 
tion of one of the great spiritual and elemental forces of nature and the 
emblem of the quarter of the west and the autumn. In the grave, 
images of the tiger were placed to the right side of the corpse, as the 
right side was facing west in the grave. Simultaneously, the tiger 
acted as a guardian of the grave; royal tombs were even surmounted 
by stone statues of tigers to protect the resting-place. 

The flat jade carvings of tigers illustrated in this Plate (1-4, 6) are 
widely different from those known heretofore either of jade or bronze. 
That in Fig. 1 is surprising in its forceful naturalistic conception, while 
that in Fig. 3 is again inspired by the formalistic and ritualistic tradi- 
tions of the bronze-founders. The dolphin (Fig. 5) occurs quite fre- 
quently in the art of the Chou (compare Plate XXIX, Figs. 1 and 4), 

[ 37 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


and there are numerous examples of it in the Bahr collection. The 
monster-head in Fig.’7 and the strongly conventionalized bird in Fig. 8 
agree exactly with the Chou bronze style, and are copied from or 
made in imitation of the corresponding designs in bronze. 


PLatEeE XXIV 
RUNNING AND CROUCHING HARES, CHOU PERIOD 


These delightful motion-pictures of hares emanate from the natu- 
ralistic and popular school of Chou lapidaries which created the ox- 
heads, buffalo figures, stags, birds, and fishes true to nature. They 
reveal that innate Chinese joy of the rapid motion and action of 
animal life. I do not believe that any mythological significance is 
attached to these hares; they are simply and purely artistic creations. 
They are all finished on both sides and provided with perforations for 
attachment. Those in Figs. 1-3 are carved from a peculiar brownish 
purple jade, that in Fig. 4 from a white and purple jade, that in Fig. 5 
from a light gray and greenish jade with opaque white streaks, that in 
Fig. 6 from a light green jade. 


. 54x 3 em. 

. 4.8 x 2.5 cm. 
. 6.6 x 3.2 cm. 
. 4x 24em. 

. 4x 1.8 cm. 
.-4x2cm. 


So Go & OS wt = 


Thickness 2, 3, or 4 ee in the various pieces. Compare Pelliot, 
Jades archaiques de Chine, Plate XX XI. 


PLATE XXV 
MONSTERS, BIRDS, BEAR, AND ALLIGATOR, CHOU PERIOD 


1. Monster with wide open jaws, of semicircular shape, carved 
alike on both sides. Round and angular raised spirals, groups of 
[ 38 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


parallel lines, and a herring-bone pattern form the designs on the 
body. The notches and teeth-like projections correspond to the Chou 
bronze style. 

8.6 x 2.4cem. 3-4 mm thick. 


2. An upright figure, a human or mythological being with an 
animal head. 
4.6x3cm. 4mm thick. 


3-4. Conventionalized crested birds with incised designs, in agree- 
ment with Chou bronze style. Gray jade much weathered and dis- 
colored. 

3.5 x 3.7cem. 2 mm thick. 
4.5 x 2.7cem. 2 mm thick. 

5. Plastic figure of bear, walking, with open jaws. Unique piece of 
yellow brown stone. 
4x0.8cm. 1.6 cm high. 


6. Bird of yellowish jade with long crest and fish-like tail. Two 
perforations. On the reverse the color is much paler and more decom- 
posed. 

7. A reptile, probably an alligator, of dark gray and yellow ser- 
pentine, of naturalistic style. Similar figures of alligators are extant 
in bone. | 

PiaTE XXVI 
BIRDS, FISH, AND HUMAN FIGURE, CHOU PERIOD 

1. A standing bird, probably a species of crane, with flat crest; the 
body is filled with spiral designs, carved alike on both sides. The eye 
is perforated; another smaller perforation in the foot. The material is 
a dark gray and greenish opaque jade much weathered and changed 
in color. 
7.4x3.9cm. 2-3 mm thick. 

[ 39 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


2. Naturalistic bird, probably duck, a spiral marking the chest, 
the feathers indicated by lines. The eye is expressed by a faintly 
incised circle. | 

Gray green jade with white enclosures under the niitaee due to 
disintegration. 
3.5x 24cm. 3 mm thick. 


3. Conventionalized bird with curved beak, carved from a rec- 
tangular plaque of light greenish, translucent jade and decorated alike 
on either side. The notched rectangle above the head is apparently 
intended to represent the bird’s crest. The influence of the Chou 
bronze style of birds is evident. The workmanship is most careiul 
and exquisite. 
7.1x3cm. 5-6 mm thick. | 


4. Conventionalized miniature iit adapted to the shape of a jade 
plaque, with fish-like tail. The eye is indicated by an incised circle 
which is too large in proportion. 

8.2 x 2.1 em. 1 mm thick. 


5. Crested bird with curved beak, turning its head around. The 
projection on the left, with incised line in the middle, is the bird’s tail. 
An angular spiral is incised on the body (on both sides). Perforation 
in head drilled from both sides. Gray bluish jade nie with 
dark blue dots; neck and left side dark brown. 
4.2x5.6cem. 2mm thick. 


6. Bird of gray jade, presumably pigeon, carved alike on both 
sides, lines partially filled with vermilion. Spiral and feathers of same 
style as in Fig. 2 of this Plate. 


4x2.7cm. 4mm thick. 


7. A cormorant of naturalistic style in its outline. The straight 
and hooked bill leaves no doubt of this identification; the lower i 
[ 40 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


of the hook is unfortunately broken off. The neck is ornamented with 
wave lines, and the body is filled with a spiral composition. Light 
yellow, uniform color. 
5.7x 3.5 cm. 2 mm thick. 


8. Miniature fish with crest, of gray yellowish jade. 
2.7 x 1.2 cm. 


9. A bird on the wing. Beak broken off. Yellow bluish jade. 
4.1x3.1cm. 2 mm thick. 


10. A floating duck with head turned back and with a young one 


attached in front, of gray green jade. Probably Han period. 
5.5x3cm. 3-5 mm thick. 


11. Human or mythological figure in profile, seated with Acres 
up legs, carved from gray, translucent jade. It is related in style to 


Fig. 3 of this Plate. 
| Puate XXVIT 


ORNAMENT, MONSTER, AND BIRD (1, 4-5), CHOU PERIOD 
GIRDLE PENDANTS (2-3), HAN PERIOD 


1. Flat plaque gray greenish in color, considerably decomposed 
and discolored. There are two small perforations at the top for suspen- 
sion. There is a round or rather oval aperture nearly in the centre. 
To the right and left of it two pieces of a rhomboid shape have been 
cut out, and the edges are serrated. The lower portion is treated in 
open work, resulting in twelve figures of curious forms, some assuming 
the shape of arrowheads. Perhaps this ornament belonged to a man 
of the military profession. 

14.5 x 8.2 cm. 1-2 mm thick. 


2. Semicircular plaque of gray translucent jade, presumably head- 
piece or part of a girdle-pendant (“Jade,” p. 200) and also used as a 
[ 41 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


resonant stone. There are three rows of small perforations 8+-7+5 = 
20 (some do not come out in the photograph, as they are filled with 
hardened loess). The designs on the top are reminiscent of those en- 
countered in the top-pieces of Chou bronze bells. Traces of vermilion. 


15 x 4.2 cm. Thickness on lower side, 3, 4-4.5 mm, on upper side 1.5 mm. 


3. Girdle-pendant in shape of a fish-monster, of cream-colored 
jade mingled with bluish and reddish spots and veins. In regard to the 
indentations compare the figures in “Jade,”’ p. 180. 

4. Four-footed monster in silhouette, cut out of a flat plaque ee 
on both sides, light yellowish brown in color. 
6.2x3.5cm. 2 mm thick. 


5. Bird carved from a thin plaque of dark gray jade with incised 
designs. 
7.5 x 3.9cem. 2 mm thick. 


Puate XXVIII 


DRAGON AND THREE PAIRS OF BIRDS 
CHOU PERIOD 


1. Green jade plaque carved alike on both sides, in shape of a type 
of dragon with serpent-like body engraved with spirals and half circles 
along the edges, rather irregular and crudely cut. Two small perfora- 
tions for attachment. 

15.4 x 4.2 cm. 4-5 mm thick. 


2. Pair of birds of thin, translucent green jade; the two are almost, 
but not entirely alike. Each bird is combined with a fish-body. Small 
perforation on breast and a ring on the back. Incisions were filled with 
vermilion. 


4a. 10.7 x 4.1 cm. 1.5 mm thick. 
Ab. 10.7 x 4.4 em. 2-2.5 mm thick. 


[ 42 ] 


“x 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


3. Pair of conventionalized birds of dark, almost black jade, each 
carved alike on both sides. Incisions sharp and firm and filled with 
vermilion. Fish-like tails. 


8a. 7x 2.9 cm. A little over 1 mm thick. 
3b. 7x 3.1 em. 1.5 mm thick. 


4. Pair of thin plaques of green jade, carved only on one side. Re- 
verse overlaid with vermilion. The design is evolved from the conven- 
tionalized bird figures and corresponds exactly to the Chou bronze 
style. 

6.1 x 4.2-4.4 em. 1 mm thick. 


Puate XXIX 
PAIRS OF DOLPHINS, FISH, AND MONSTER, CHOU PERIOD 
1. Pair of plaques of white bluish stone in shape of dolphins. In- 


crusted with hardened loess. Carved alike on both sides. 


la. 8.6 x 2.5 cm. 2-3 mm thick. 
lb. 7.7 x 2.2 em. 2-3 mm thick. 


2. Fish of sea-green, translucent jade, carved alike on both sides. 
Three small perforations above and four below. 
10.6 x 3 em. 0.5—1 mm thick. 


There is a pair of these fishes, but only one has been photographed. 
The Bahr collection contains about seventy fishes among which many 
well-defined species can be distinguished. 

3. Curved green jade plaque in form of a monster with open jaws, 
carved alike on both sides. Incisions coated with vermilion. Small 
perforation at left end. Filled with spiral and line patterns, one square 
spiral on the left. The eye is represented by a spiral. 

10.1 x 2.6-2.7 cm. 5 mm thick. 


4. Pair of dolphins of green jade, carved alike on both sides. 
Snout, upper part, and tail grayish, likewise entire lower surface. 
[ 43 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


Small perforation in head. Eye outlined in form of a spiral. Contours 
and incisions cut with great firmness and evenness; graceful and 
perfect. 


4a. 10.2x2.3 cm. 1.5-2 mm thick. 
4b. 10.3 x 2.3 em. 1.5-3 mm thick. 


The differences in measurements and details show that these pairs 
were not made from stencils, but were each freely carved from hand. 


PLATE XXX 
INSECTS, CHOU AND HAN PERIODS 


The fondness of the ancient Chinese for insects is well known, and 
the cicada as a symbol of resurrection played a prominent role in the 
ancient ritual complex of jade. Jade as the most highly prized sub- 
stance found in nature was believed to be endowed with the property 
of preserving the body and prompting its resurrection. The last serv- 
ice rendered to a departed friend was to send for him a piece of jade 
which was placed on his tongue. These protecting amulets assumed 
either the shape of a tongue, or were carved in the form of a cicada. 
In either case the significance was that the mourner desired to hear his 
friend’s voice again. It was an expression of faith and hope. The 
cicada plays an eminent role in the folk-lore of the Chinese who were 
deeply impressed by the long and complicated life-history of this 
interesting insect. In the same manner as the larva creeps into the 
ground and rises again in the state of the pupa till finally the cicada 
emerges, so the soul of the dead was believed to fly out of the old body 
and to awaken to a new life. The cicada, accordingly, was a symbol of 
resurrection. The Bahr collection abounds not only in very fine 
cicadas, but also reveals the interesting fact that several other species 
of insects were represented in jade. The insect in Fig. 7 of this Plate 
is a very beautiful, naturalistic cicada of gray and black jade (6 x 2.7 
[ 44 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


cm), the abdomen of the insect being represented on the lower side. 
Cicadas and most other insects were carved in considerable enlarge- 
ment. The insect in Fig. 8 is not a cicada, but is presumably intended 
for a kind of beetle; it is a wonderful carving, the wing-covers being 
particularly fine; the coloring is no less amazing: it is dark green and 
brown on the upper surface, gray (the common color of jade) and 
yellow brown on the reverse. 

The large insect in Fig. 1, of a white-gray-greenish material 
(8.3 x 4.1 cm, 2-6 mm thick), is what is commonly called by Chinese 
a cicada, but my colleague, Mr. Gerhard, a professional entomologist, 
denies that it could represent a cicada. The white insect in Fig. 2, in 
his opinion, is some species of the genus Geocoris. Exact identification 
of these insects is difficult and in most cases impossible, especially as 
antennae and legs are not represented. The gray jade plaque in Fig. 3 
has merely the cicada shape thoroughly conventionalized, and is 
engraved with geometric patterns, as we find in the so-called cicada 


designs of archaic bronzes. 
8.4 x 3.5 em. 3 mm thick. Hardened loess on both sides. 


Fig. 9 is of a beautiful, green, transparent jade, highly polished on 
the upper side, but dull on the reverse; there are no designs either on 


the reverse. 
5.9x 2.5 cm. 5 mm thick. 


Figs. 4-6 form a peculiar group of insects, resembling or perhaps 
even identical with the group 10-13 in Plate XX XI. The identifica- 
tion is difficult, because the legs and antennae and, in most cases, not 
even the head are represented. 


Puate XXXI 
VARIOUS SHELLS AND INSECTS, CHOU AND HAN PERIODS 
1, 6. Shells resembling the chrysalis and door shells (family 


Pupidae), also the auger shell (genus Terebra) which occurs in the 
[ 45 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


China Sea. An exact identification is impossible. The piece in Fig. 1 
has one lateral perforation for suspension. It is skilfully carved from 
a gray greenish jade clouded by white enclosures. 


4.9 cm long. 


2, 9. Larvae or caterpillars of some kind of beetle. 
3.9 and 4.6 cm long, respectively. 


3. Pupa or larva of a cicada, of gray jade and natural size, of 
naturalistic style. 


2x1cm. 


4-5. Silkworms of naturalistic style with clearly outlined heads. — 


3.9 and 4.2 cm long, respectively. 


7-8. Implements of gray jade, of later date than 4 and 5, probably 
used to untie knots, in shape of conventionalized silkworms. The silk- 
worm ridges have developed into a stereotyped pattern in Fig. 7, it is 
surmounted by the full figure of an animal in the same manner as we 
find in the knobs of seals. Fig. 8 is surmounted by a pigeon; in this 
piece only the form is preserved, the ridges have been abandoned and 
replaced with an engraved spiral composition. 


4.9 cm long. 


10-13. Small insects which defy identification. Compare Plate 
XXX, Figs. 4-6. 


Puate XXXIT 
PAIR OF PIGS, ORNAMENTAL TUBES, AND GIRDLE-PENDANT, 
CHOU PERIOD 
1. Two plastic, solid figures of crouching pigs of bright green jade 
with yellow and white spots, due to chemical changes under ground. 
Probably used as a charm. There are five more such pigs in our col- 
[ 46 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


lection, which show but slight variations in detail, but are all of the 
same geometric style. The carver evidently had a rectangular slab 
before him and saw in it the vision of a pig; then he gradually worked 
the features of the animal into it. This type has also become known 
from tombs in Korea. 


la. 10.5 cm long. 2.2 em high. 
Ib. 10.2 cm long. 2.5 cm high. 


2-4. Tubular beads with concave outlines, of yellow jade with 
black dots and veins, yellow jade with green and brown spots, and 
pure gray jade, respectively. The perforations were drilled from both 
ends and joined in the middle. The reproductions do not render 
justice to the beauty of these pieces. Another of this type in the Bahr 
collection is decorated with incised spirals of Chou bronze style. 


2. 6.6 cm high. 
3. 6.5 cm high. 
4, 7.1 em high. 


5. A pendant of a glossy white jade, square in section and gradu- 
ally tapering toward the end. As a type it belongs to the class t‘ten 
usually explained as ear-rings (““Jade,” p. 253), but it is evident that 
this object is too long and heavy to serve such a purpose. I would 
rather be inclined to think that it was a girdle-pendant. In opposition 
to the plain f*zen published by Wu Ta-ch‘eng, this example is deco- 
rated on its four sides with a design the unit of which is repeated 
twelve times on each side and somewhat resembles the character 
wang (“king”). The vertical line in the centre is alternately simple 
and double. There is also a certain similarity with the designs on the 
Earth symbols. The perforated portion has the shape of an obtuse 
pyramid, and the opposite end that of a pointed pyramid. 


13 cm long. Two opposite sides 1 cm wide above and 6 mm below, the two others 
9 mm wide above and 5 mm wide below. 


[ 47 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


Pirate XXXIIT 
HUMAN FIGURE, CHOU PERIOD 

Plastic figure of a bearded old man, carved from a peculiar, bluish 
gray, glossy stone, rounded at the back, a central ridge in front. Ears 
and nose are not represented. Eyes and mouth are indicated by sim- 
ple slits, those of the eyes being placed obliquely. The beard is 
pointed and triangular in shape, marked by ten slightly incised lines. 
He is completely enveloped in a robe with long, drooping sleeves in 
which the hands are hidden. The feet are not represented. The 
artist evidently had a rectangular plaque before him which he 
adjusted into the shape of a man, hence the rectangular outlines of the 
head and the base. There is a large series of similar human figures in 
the Bahr collection; most of these have perforations running from ear 
to ear, through the sleeves or the length of the body, and were 
intended for suspension. This one is solid and not perforated. 
14.3 em high. 3.5-5 cm wide. Base 4 x 2.7 cm. 


PuateE XXXIV 
PAIR OF HUMAN FIGURES, BAT, AND ARCHER'S THUMB-RING, HAN 
PERIOD. MINIATURE DAGGER AND TIGER’S HEAD, CHOU PERIOD 
1. Pair of plastic figures representing a bearded old man of the 
same type and style as the one illustrated in “Jade,” Plate XLII, Fig. 3, 
and described on p. 311. The two figures are of equal size and iden- 
tical color, having been carved out of the same prismatic block in 


which the two were back to back; they were then cut loose from one 


another at the back. Hence they are real twins. The jade is light 
green in color with a dark brown zone in the centre. Each man has a 
long triangular beard, and is equipped with a flat cap and a coat which 
falls over a long, girdled gown. The uppers of the shoes are outlined in 
front. The faces are but vaguely suggested. 

[ 48 | 


i 
apres 
a 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


2. Implement of a dark brown glossy stone, perhaps used for unty- 
ing knots, surmounted by the full figure of a bat of naturalistic style. 
The back is flat, the front consists of two slanting sides, the cross sec- 
tion is triangular. 


8.8 x 2.1 cm. 


8. Archer’s thumb-ring, a very ancient type which has been 
unknown heretofore. It is of dark gray jade ornamented with incised 
designs of Chou bronze style. The broad portion below served for pro- 
tecting the ball of the thumb. The string of the bow rested against the 
peg or spur on the other side. Beneath it there are two connecting 
oval perforations in the ring. A string or several passed through these 
and was tied around the thumb, so that the ring was tautly in place. 
The Koreans used a similar thumb-ring, save that the spur was want- 
ing. Compare “Jade,” pp. 283-285. 

4. Miniature dagger or rather suggestive of a sheath containing a 
dagger or short sword with curved point, carved from gray green jade 
almost entirely discolored and weathered away. The reverse is plain, 
the obverse is decorated with incised designs which may have been 
derived from an ornamented bronze blade. This object was obviously 
used as an ornament suspended in the girdle. There is a perforation in 
the middle of the upper narrow side which connects with a perforation 
in the reverse, and there are two more perforations in the reverse con- 
necting with perforations in the lateral narrow sides, altogether three 
pairs arranged in the form of a triangle. 


13.3 em long. 1.7-2 cm wide. 3-5 mm thick. 


5. Tiger’s head, hollow carving from gray jade. According to Mr. 
Bahr, this piece was found at Sin-cheng together with the jades ilus- 
trated in Plates XIX and XX. The jaws are open, and the teeth are 

[ 49 ] 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


represented (not visible in the illustration, as the piece was photo- 
_ graphed from above with a vertical camera). 
5.8x5cm. 2.7 cm high. 


PuaTE XXXV 
WHITE JADE FIGURE OF A LADY, WEI PERIOD 

This unique and graceful statuette, as far as is known at present, 
is the only one of jade of this early period, and in its style agrees with 
the corresponding clay figurines of the same epoch. It is skilfully 
carved from a fine white and gray jade here and there intersected by 
brown veins. A delicate, aristocratic, oval face of calm dignity, with 
a high forehead. Her hair is combed down in front and back, but 
leaves the ears free. The crown of the head is surmounted by a toupet 
and head-dress. The lines marking the hair are of extreme finesse. 
She is clad in a long flowing gown, the neck protected by a collar, and 
wears a girdle around the waist. The hands are stuck through a slit in 
the long drooping sleeves which terminate in a bag. The hands are 
perforated horizontally, and must accordingly have held an object 
that passed through the perforations. The figure gradually broadens 
toward the base, the uppers of the shoes jut out in front. On the lower 
side of the base the soles of the feet are incised, and the back view 
demonstrates that the artist was anxious to produce a real work of 
sculpture with a complete finish. 
17 cm high. Base 4.5 x 3.7 cm. 


PuaTE XXXVI 
JADE RHYTON, SUNG PERIOD 
Carved from a gray, translucent jade filled with pink spots and 
black veins. A magnificent carving and technical masterpiece of the 
Sung period. The decorations are laid out in five zones. The upper 
[ 50 | 


ARCHAIC CHINESE JADES 


one contains three pairs of birds and two pairs of fishes. The birds are 
standing opposite each other on a lotus flower, their beaks touching 
each other. The fishes are represented side by side on the inner side 
of a lotus-leaf, apparently designed to convey the idea that they swim 
in a lotus-pond; this design 1s very much like the fish conceptions on 
the Ting and Ts‘e-chou Sung porcelains. The second zone is deco- 
rated with conventionalized floral designs; the third, with a spiral 
composition; the fourth, with a row of strongly conventionalized facial 
masks showing brows, eyes, and nose. The fifth and lower zone is 
divided by a curious animal-head with projecting nose, the species of 
which is difficult to determine. It is noteworthy that the designs in 
this zone are not symmetrical, but are reversed on the two sides and 
even represent monsters of different style. On the side shown in the 
illustration we see a monster with a bird’s beak and two feet, each 
equipped with two large, sharp claws; it is confronted with a conven- 
tionalized bird. The handle is gracefully curved in the form of a fish- 
tail. The bottom is ornamented with a composition of incised double 
spirals. 

14.6 cm high. Opening 9.4 x 5.4 cm. 1.5 mm thick. 


[ 51 ] 


er 


BAWK COLLECTION 


Q : 3 


1. ORNAMENTED AXE-HEAD. 2-3. CEREMONIAL Disks. 
Cuovu PERIOD. 


Pirate II 


t 


res 


bere hoe OTIC EF) ON Puatre III 


Q 
1. ScRAPER. 2. CEREMONIAL Disk. 
Cuovu PERIOD. 


BAHK COLLECTION Puate IV 


2 


1. AxE-HEAD. 2. CEREMONIAL DIsk. 
Cuou PERIOD. 


Ls 


i. 


BetieeOt Lb OTLON 


PLATE V 


CEREMONIAL Knire, CHou Preriop. 2 CEREMONIAL DaccerR, HAN PERIOD. 


Puatre VI 


ik 


BAHR COLLECTION 


9] 


~ 


CEREMONIAL KNIFE. 2. CHISEL. 3. 


Cuovu PERIOD. 


3 


SworpD. 


Baie Osler CTL ON 
fo) 


~ 


Piatr VII 


1. SERPENT FROM SOUTHERN CuHuiInA, Han Preriop. 2. HeEap-press, Ttane 


PERIOD. 


3. CEREMONIAL SWorpb. 


4. ENGRAVED ORNAMENT. 


5. Buack 


JADE CHARM IN SHAPE OF SHOULDER BLADE, CHovU PERIOD. 


oO 
ov 


COLLECTION 


BAHR 


Pirate VIII 


] 


CHISEL. 


. 


2 


CEREMONIAL DoUBLE-EDGED DAGGER. 


1 


Cuou PERIOD. 


BAHR COLLECTION 


NotTcHEep CEREMONIAL AXE-HEADS, Cuovu PERIOD. 


PLATE 


IX 


4 


BAHR COLLECTION 


y 


4 


= 
vy) 


PLATI 


K IN THREE SEGMENTS. 


Dts 
ARLY Han PERIOD. 


2 


SK. 


MPLETE D1 


Inco 


1 


E 


BAHR GOREEC ELON 


1. WHEEL Disk, CHovu PERIOD. 
2. Disk IN FouR SEGMENTS, Earty Han PERIOD. 


Puate XI 


Puatn XII BAHR COLLECTION 


Paar ES 


1. Wueet Disk with Designs PAINTED IN VERMILION, CHou PERIOD. 
2. DecorRATED Disk, Late Han PERIOD. 


BAHR COLLECTION 


1. Notcuep Disk, Cuovu PrErRtIop. 
2, Disk In THREE SEGMENTS, Earty Han Prrtop. 


Puate XIII 


PuatrE XIV 


BAHR COLLECTION 


DECORATED CEREMONIAL Disk, HAN PERIOD. 


ig 


PAM EVCOLDLECTION Prats XV 


JAGGED CEREMONIAL Disks. 1. HAN Periop. 2. CHovu PERIOop. 


Piatt XVI 


BAHR COLLECTION 


EMBLEM OF EartH, CHovu PERIOD. 


BAHK COLLECTION 


EMBLEMS oF EartTH, Cuou PERIOD. 


PLatrt XVII 


Puate XVIII BAHR COLLECTION 


JADE SANDALS, CHovu PERIOD. 


Puate XIX 


Cuovu PERIOD 


AMENTS, 


saison 


BAHR COLLECTION 


DECORATED JADE ORN 


PuatE XX BAHR COLLECTION 


DECORATED JADE Disk, Cuov PERIOD. 


BAERECOMDROTION © Pres <x 
1 3 4 


9 
NATURALISTIC AND CONVENTIONALIZED Ox-HEADS, CHou PERIOD. 


3 


Put XX BAWRO COLE ERC hes 


nd 


oO. 


1-4. CONVENTIONALIZED ANIMAL-HEADS, CHou PERIOD. 
Futut Figure or CroucHiInGc Burra.to, Cuou PERIOD. 


BAHR COLLECTION Puate XXIII 


1-4, 6. Tigers. 5. DoLpHin. 7. MONSTER Heap. 8. CoNVENTIONALIZED Brirp. 
Cuovu PERIOD. 


Or 


Puate XXIV 


BAHR COLEECTION 


Hares, Cuovu PeEriop. 


BAHR COLLECTION Puare XXV 


1-2. Monsters. 3, 4,6. Birps. 5. Bar. 7. ALLIGATOR. 
Cuovu PERIOD. 


Puare XXVI BAHR COLLECTION 


11 


1-7, 9,10. Birps. 8. Minrature Fiso. 11. Human Fiaure. 
Cuovu PERIOD. 


BAHR CO eC LON PLate XXVIII 


1. ORNAMENT. 4. Monster. 5. Birp, Cuovu Prriop. 
2,3. GIRDLE PENDANTs, EARLY Han PrEriop. 


Pure XXVIll BAHR COLLECTiIO“ 


1. Dragon. 2-4. Patrs or Birps. CHovu PERIOD. 


Deine OVE CLL N Pirate XXIX 


1, 4. Patrs or Dotpntins. 2. Fisn. 3. Monster. Cuovu PEriop. 


PLATE XXX BAHR COLLECTION 
I 2 3 


8 
Insects, CHou anp Han PeErtops. 


~ 


10 


BATLEA COLLECTION Pirate XXXI 


5) 


LJ} 


1,6. SHetyu. 2, 9. LaRvVAE oF A BEETLE. 


4—5. SILKWORMS. 


SILKWORMS. 


10-13. UNIDENTIFIED INSECTs. 


or 


13 


12 
38. LARVA OF A CICADA. 
7, 8. IMPLEMENTS IN SHAPE OF CONVENTIONALIZED 


Cuou AND Han PrErtrops. 


Puate XXXII BAHR COLEECTION 


Ib 


1. Parr or Pigs. 2-4. ORNAMENTAL TuBES. 5. GIRDLE PENDANT. 
Cuovu PERIOD. 


BAHR COLLECTION  Prare XXXII 


Human Ficure, Cuou PERIOD. 


Puare XXXIV BAHR COLLECTION 


1. Parr or Human Ficures. 2. Bat. 3. ARCHER’S THUMB-RING. Hawn PERIOD. 
4. MINIATURE Daccer. 5. Ticer’s Heap. CuHovu PERIOD. 


Piatt XXXV 


COLLECTION 


BAHR 


EI PERIOD. 


y 


W 


> 


WuHitTE JADE Figure or Lapy, FRonT anv BaAcr 


> 


PLaTE XXXVI BAHRK COLLECELIOW 


JADE RuytToNn, SuNG PERIOD. 


4 a 
vedi pote 
Saat ih 


. 
et ed 


piace: 


—R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS CO 
CHICAGO ae 


one eae ® Le Ls oe aS Ty 


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AN 


GETTY CENTER LIBRARY 


ET 


3 3125 00967 9115 


